GROWING in
GOD’S WORD
LEVELS of BIBLICAL LEARNING® BIRTH to HIGH SCHOOL
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AS KIDS AND STUDENTS GROW, THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS GROWS WITH THEM.
LEVELS OF BIBLICAL LEARNING® covers 10 biblical concept areas — GOD, JESUS, HOLY SPIRIT, BIBLE,
SALVATION, CREATION, CHURCH, PEOPLE, FAMILY,
ISBN 634337922591
COMMUNITY & WORLD — that children and
To order additional copies of this resource,
students can learn as they study God’s Word.
write to LifeWay Resources Customer Service; One LifeWay Plaza; Nashville, TN 37234; fax 615.251.5933; phone toll free 800.458.2772; email
orderentry@lifeway.com, order online at www.lifeway.com, or visit the LifeWay Christian Store serving you. Printed in the United States of America LifeWay Christian Resources One LifeWay Plaza Nashville, TN 37234 All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
The concept areas are presented through 8 different age ranges from infancy through high school and reflect levels of understanding that follow how God designed preschoolers, children, and students to learn.
CONTENTS God chooses parents and teachers to lay foundations for salvation
Younger PRESCHOOLERS . . . . . . . . . . 4
and spiritual transformation. We want kids and students to learn about Jesus, come to know Jesus personally, and glorify God as they obey His Word. Levels of Biblical Learning outlines the biblical concepts kids and students need to hear, understand, and apply. Although kids and students develop spiritually in similar ways,
Middle PRESCHOOLERS . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Older PRESCHOOLERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
their rates of development vary. Some kids and students may understand concepts at an earlier or later age than indicated
Younger KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
on the chart. Certain topics are introduced later when the concept and content are more meaningful and useful to the preschooler, child, or student.
Middle KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
While neither God nor His attributes change, a preschooler’s, child’s, or student’s level of understanding and vocabulary changes
PRETEENS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
as he grows. Small nuances in words and slight changes in concepts are significant in the minds of growing kids and students. From an adult’s perspective, these changes may seem minor, but these small steps are important for the understanding of kids and students. When teaching or developing resources for broadly aged
MIDDLE SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 HIGH SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
groupings, concepts may be combined or adapted to meet the needs of the group. Review concepts across several ages. This helpful ministry tool provides yet another reason to rely on LifeWay as a resource you can trust year after year. To find out more about the Levels of Biblical Learning, visit LifeWay.com/LOBL.
Supporting Verses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Younger PRESCHOOLERS GOD • God is good. • God made me. • God loves me. • God hears me. • God helps me. • God loves people.
JESUS • Jesus was born. • God chose a family for Jesus. • Jesus grew like me. • Jesus learned about God. • Jesus told people about God. • Jesus helped people because He loved them. • Jesus loves me. • Jesus did everything God told Him to do. • Jesus is alive.
HOLY SPIRIT Concept statements from the concept areas of Jesus and God lay a foundation for later learning about the work of the Holy Spirit. Examples of those statements are:
BIBLE • The Bible is a special book. • The Bible tells about God. • People in the Bible told about God. • The Bible tells about Jesus. • The Bible helps me know what to do.
• God wants me to be a friend. • God loves me. • God has plans for me. • God helps me. • God helps me learn about Jesus.
FAMILY SALVATION • God loves us. • God cares about us.
CREATION • God made day, night, plants, sky, sun, moon, stars, animals, water, birds, fish, and people. • God made people. • God made food for people and animals. • God planned for people to care for the things He made. • God said His creation is good. • God wants me to thank Him for the things He made.
• God helps me. • God loves me.
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CHURCH • People learn about God and Jesus at church. • People at church love me. • People at church help me. • People at church sing, talk to God, and listen to Bible stories.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
PEOPLE • God made me. • God made me special. • God created me to make choices. • God helps me learn. • God loves for me to talk to Him. • God helps me grow like Jesus grew.
• God made families. • Families love one another. • God gave me a mommy and daddy to help me. • My family tells me about God. • God loves families.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God made people. • God helps people. • People tell about God and Jesus. • People can talk with God. • God cares about other people and me.
Middle PRESCHOOLERS GOD • God is good to me. • God made everything. • God loves people and is with them. • God hears me when I pray. • God helps people. • God shows His love to me. • God loves me even when I make wrong choices. • God tells me to sing and pray to Him. • God tells me to do what He says. • God can do anything. • God does what He says He will do. • God knows everything about me. • God is real.
• Jesus loves people. • Jesus is God’s Son. • Jesus always obeyed God. • Jesus is with God.
HOLY SPIRIT Concept statements from the concept areas of Jesus and God lay a foundation for later learning about the work of the Holy Spirit. Examples of those statements are: • God helps people. • God shows His love to people. • God loves people and is with them. • God shows His love to me.
BIBLE JESUS • God sent Jesus to earth. • Angels told Mary and Joseph that Jesus would be born. • Jesus grew like me and had a family. • Jesus learned about God by reading the Scriptures. • Jesus taught people about what God is like. • Jesus healed sick people.
• The stories in the Bible are true and really happened. • The Bible teaches us what God is like. • People wrote God’s words in the Bible. • The Bible teaches what Jesus did. • The Bible teaches me right and wrong.
SALVATION • God sent Jesus because He loves us. • God sent Jesus because He cares about us. • People make wrong choices.
CREATION • God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. • God made people different from the other things He made. • God cares for His creation. • God has people to care for His creation. • God wants me to like His creation too. • God wants people to thank Him for the things He made. • God made people able to love.
CHURCH • People use the Bible to learn about God and Jesus at church. • People at church love each other and teach about God and Jesus.
• People at church help others. • People at church worship by singing, talking to God, and listening to Bible stories. • People give money at church. • Jesus had a special meal with His friends. • The Bible has stories about baptism.
PEOPLE • God helps me grow. • God made me, so I am special. • God allows me to make right and wrong choices. • God made me able to think, work, and play. • God loves for me to pray. • God helps me grow like Jesus grew. • God helps me be kind to my friends. • God will always love me. • God has a plan for each person. • God helps me do what He says. • God wants people to take care of their bodies.
• Jesus taught that I can tell others I’m sorry when I hurt them. • God wants people to learn from Jesus.
FAMILY • God’s plan for families is in the Bible. • God wants family members to love and help one another. • God’s plan is for children to do what their parents tell them to do. • Families talk to God and read the Bible. • God loves families even when bad things happen.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God made people alike and different. • God helps all people. • People tell others about God and Jesus. • People can pray for others. • People are important to God. • Missionaries are people who tell other people about God and Jesus.
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Older PRESCHOOLERS GOD • God is good to everyone. • God created everything. • God is always with people. • God hears people pray. • God helps and provides for people. • God shows His love to people. • God loves people even when they make wrong choices. • God tells people to worship Him. • God tells people to obey Him. • God can do all things. • God always keeps His promises. • God knows everything. • God is real and true.
JESUS • God sent Jesus to earth as a real person. • People in the Old Testament told that Jesus would be born. • Jesus grew, learned, and had friends.
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GROWING in GOD’S WORD
• Jesus prayed to God. • Jesus taught people what God is like by what He said and did. • Jesus performed miracles. • People can obey Jesus because they love Him. • Jesus died on the cross and then came back to life. • Jesus is God’s one and only Son. • Jesus was tempted to sin. • Jesus is in heaven with God.
HOLY SPIRIT Concept statements from the concept areas of Jesus and God lay a foundation for later learning about the work of the Holy Spirit. Examples of those statements are: • God helps and provides for people. • God shows His love to people. • God is always with people.
BIBLE • Everything in the Bible is true. • The Bible teaches what God and Jesus are like. • People wrote only God’s words in the Bible. • The Bible teaches that Jesus died on a cross but came back to life. • The Bible teaches about right and wrong choices.
SALVATION • God sent Jesus to help people because He loves them. • God sent His only Son, Jesus, because He cares about us. • People choose to disobey God.
CREATION • God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. • God created people able to make choices. • God provides for His creation.
• God planned for people to care for the things He made. • God wants me to enjoy the things He created. • God wants people to thank and praise Him for His creation. • God made people able to love Him.
CHURCH • The church is people who gather to learn about God and Jesus from the Bible. • Church helpers teach about God and Jesus. • The church provides ways for people to help others. • People at church worship by praying, giving, singing, reading the Bible, and learning more about God and Jesus. • People give money at church to help others learn about God and Jesus. • The Lord’s Supper is a special meal to remember Jesus. • A person is baptized after he or she becomes a Christian.
PEOPLE • People grow as God planned for them to grow. • People are special because God made them. • God allows people to make right and wrong choices. • God made people able to do many things well. • God wants people to pray. • People can try to be like Jesus. • Jesus taught how God wants us to treat other people. • No matter what happens, God loves people. • God has a plan for every person. • People can show love for God by obeying Him. • God wants people to take care of their bodies. • God helps me obey Him. • Because Jesus forgives, I can tell others I am sorry for hurting them. • God wants people to follow Jesus’ example.
FAMILY • God’s plan for families is for mothers and fathers to raise children. Children are born or adopted into families. • God wants families to show love, respect, and kindness to one another. • God’s plan is for children to obey their parents. • Families worship God together. • When two people marry, they become a family. Adam and Eve were the first family.
• God loves families even when they hurt each other, and He wants families to forgive each other.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God made people alike and different, and all are special to Him. • God helps people do His work.
• People who love God tell others all over the world about Him. • People can pray for others in their communities and world. • The Bible tells me to love others in my community and world. • Missionaries tell people about God and Jesus in my country and in other countries.
LEVELS of BIBLICAL LEARNING
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Younger KIDS GOD • God is perfect. • God is Creator and worthy to be praised. • God is everywhere. • God hears and answers prayers. • God helps and provides for His people. • God shows love to His people. • God loves people enough to provide forgiveness for their wrong choices. • God tells people to worship Him and tell others about Him. • God expects people to obey, respect, and honor Him. • God is powerful and in control of all things. • God is fair and can be trusted. • God knows all things. • God is real, the only true God. • God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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JESUS • Jesus was God in human form. • Prophets in the Old Testament told that Jesus would be born. Jesus is the Messiah who fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. • Jesus understands what it is like to be human. • Jesus worshiped God. • Jesus taught through His life what God is like. • Jesus raised people from the dead. • People who love Jesus want to obey Him. • Jesus died on the cross, and God raised Him from the dead. • Jesus was sent to be my Savior. • Jesus was tempted but did not sin. • Jesus ascended to heaven but promised He would return one day. • Jesus was with God at creation.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
HOLY SPIRIT • The Holy Spirit is a special helper. • The Holy Spirit helps people understand God’s plan for salvation. • The Holy Spirit helps people in times of trouble. • The Holy Spirit has always worked in the world. • The Holy Spirit helps Christians tell others about Jesus. • The Holy Spirit helped people to write the Bible. • God sent the Holy Spirit to help us know when we sin.
BIBLE • Bible truths never change. • The Bible helps people know more about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. • God helped people know what to write in the Bible. • The Bible teaches that Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead. • The Bible teaches how God wants people to live.
SALVATION • God provided a way for people to become Christians because He loves them. • God sent His only Son, Jesus, to be the only Savior of the world. • Sin is choosing my way and disobeying God. • Jesus took the punishment for people’s sins. • People who trust Jesus as their Savior and Lord are Christians. • God will forgive people when they ask Him.
CREATION • God created the world from nothing. • God created everyone to be like Him and to have a relationship with Him. • God planned and provided for His creation. • God planned for people to care for His world. • God is still at work in His creation.
• God is to be praised for His creation. • God made people able to love Him and others.
CHURCH • The church is more than a building; it is Christians who gather to worship and serve God. • Church leaders are chosen to teach about God and Jesus. • The church meets the needs of people. • God wants people to gather to worship Him. • The money people give at church is called tithes and offerings. • The Lord’s Supper is a special event at church. People can remember Jesus when they see the Lord’s Supper being observed. • Baptism shows that people have trusted in Jesus as Savior.
PEOPLE • Birth and growth are part of God’s plan. • People are God’s most important creation. • God helps people make good choices. • God wants people to use their talents and abilities in ways that please and honor Him. • God wants people to pray and read the Bible daily. • People can follow Jesus’ example by obeying God. • God helps me love others, both friends and enemies. • Good and bad things happen to people, but God still loves them. • God has a plan for every person’s life. • God wants people to live every day in ways that please and honor Him. • People need to take care of their bodies because God created them. • God helps me obey what is written in the Bible.
• God helps me know when I have hurt others. I can ask them to forgive me. • God wants our actions, attitudes, thoughts, and words to be good. • God wants all people to follow Jesus’ example.
FAMILY • God’s plan for mothers and fathers is to be examples of God’s love. • God’s plan for families is for them to love, respect, and help one another. • God tells children to respect and obey their parents. • God wants families to worship at home and other places. • In a marriage, a man and a woman make promises to God and each other. • God loves families and wants families to love and forgive each other when difficult things happen.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God values all people. • God helps people to do His work in their communities and world. • Christians are called to tell people all over the world about Jesus. • People can pray for people all over the world. • The Bible tells me to love others in my community and world. • Missionaries are called by God to tell another group of people the good news about Jesus.
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Middle KIDS JESUS
GOD • God is holy. • God is Creator and worthy to be praised. • God is everywhere at all times. • God knows what people need and desire but still expects them to pray. • God has concern and care for all people. • God loves and values people around the world.
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• God proved His unconditional love for people by sending Jesus. • God is worthy of worship. • God deserves respect, obedience, and honor. • God is all-powerful and in control of all things. • God is faithful and just. • God is all-knowing. • God has always been and always will be. • God is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
• Jesus was born of a virgin. • God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time. • Jesus is fully God and fully man. • Jesus taught that worship is focused on God. • Jesus taught about faith, trust, and obedience to God. • Jesus performed miracles through the power of God. • People can obey Jesus as a response to His love. • Jesus died to pay the penalty for sin. • Jesus is the Messiah and Savior. • Jesus was human but resisted temptation.
• Jesus ascended to heaven but promised He would return one day. • Jesus is eternal.
HOLY SPIRIT • God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity. • The Holy Spirit urges people to receive God’s salvation. • The Holy Spirit is the Comforter. • The Holy Spirit has worked and always will work in the world. • The Holy Spirit helps Christians tell others about Jesus and God’s plan. • The Holy Spirit guided people to write God’s words. • The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin.
BIBLE • Everything in the Bible is true and will last forever. • The Bible is God’s message about Himself. • God inspired people to know what to write in the Bible. • The Bible teaches that Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead for the forgiveness of sins. • The Bible teaches how to live a Christian life.
SALVATION • God provided a plan for salvation because He loves me. • Salvation is the beginning of a growing relationship with Jesus that lasts forever. Through salvation, my sin is forgiven and the gift of eternal life with God begins. • The punishment for sin is separation from God.
• Jesus died to pay the penalty for all my sins—past, present, and future. • God’s salvation is a gift that every person needs and can receive. • When the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin, I can turn away from my sin (repent) and trust Jesus as my personal Savior.
CREATION • God spoke the world into existence from nothing. • God created people in His image. • God’s creation follows His plan. • God wants people to take responsibility for taking care of His creation. • God is still at work in His creation and cares what happens in it. • God wants people to praise Him for His creation. • God made people in His image to have a personal relationship with Him.
CHURCH • A church is a group of Christians who meet together to worship and serve God. • Churches set apart people to do certain tasks. • God uses the church to meet the needs of people in the community and around the world. • God wants people to gather to worship Him. • In addition to money, offerings can include time, talents, and possessions. • The Lord’s Supper is a way to remind people about what Jesus did. Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper. • Baptism by immersion shows that people have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
PEOPLE • God created me in His image. • Each person is unique and of value to God. • People are responsible for their choices. • People can develop and use their abilities and talents in ways that please and honor God. • God wants people to communicate with Him through praying and reading the Bible daily. • People can follow the examples, teachings, and commands of Jesus. • People can learn to love others as God loves them. • People can learn to respond in positive ways to what happens to them. • God wants every person to trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. • People can learn about and recognize God’s authority. • People need to take care of their bodies and minds to honor God.
• God asks me to honor Him by choosing to do what is right and reject what is wrong. • The Holy Spirit helps me know that when I have hurt others, I can ask them to forgive me. • God wants people to have pure thoughts and actions. • God wants believers to be disciples who grow in their faith and knowledge of Jesus.
FAMILY • God’s plan for mothers and fathers is to teach their children about God. Parents are examples of how God is our heavenly Father. • God’s plan is for all family members to work together so that God is honored by their family. • God expects children to honor Him in the way they honor their parents. • God wants families to worship together to help them grow stronger in their faith.
• In a wedding ceremony, a man and a woman make promises to God, to each other, and to all those present to be committed to each other through good and bad times. • God loves families even when family members sin. God is always ready to forgive.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • Even before they are born, people are special to God. • God works through people to do work in their communities and world. • All Christians are called to be on mission with God. • People can pray for specific needs of others. • God tells me to connect with others and show them His love. • Missionaries are Christians called by God to tell another group of people the good news about Jesus.
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PRETEENS GOD • God is holy and perfect. • God, the Creator, is to be worshiped, not His creations. • God is omnipresent—He is everywhere at all times. • God hears people’s prayers and communicates with them. • God has concern and care for all people no matter their status, race, or ethnicity.
• God loves and values people around the world no matter their status, race, or ethnicity. • God proved His unconditional love for people through the sacrifice of Jesus the Christ. • God expects people to worship Him with all their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. • God deserves respect, obedience, and honor. God wants us to live for His glory.
» God is omnipotent—He is all
powerful, sovereign, and good. » God is righteous. » God is omniscient—He is all-knowing. » God is eternal. » God reveals Himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (the Trinity).
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GROWING in GOD’S WORD
JESUS • Jesus was born of a virgin. • God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time and sent Jesus to earth at the perfect time. • Jesus is fully God and fully man who came to earth in human form. • Jesus taught that worship is for God’s glory. • Jesus taught that He is the only way to God. • Jesus performed miracles because He is God’s Son. • Jesus transformed people through His love. • Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection were a necessary part of God’s plan for the forgiveness of sin. • God sent Jesus to fulfill His promise of redemption. • Jesus is holy and perfect. • Jesus sits at God’s right hand and intercedes for us as our advocate, mediator, and high priest. When Jesus returns, all things will be made new. • Jesus has always existed and will always be with God.
HOLY SPIRIT • The Trinity is eternal, holy, and perfect. • The Holy Spirit is given to a person when he trusts Jesus as his Savior and Lord. • God sent the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. • The Holy Spirit is eternal and active. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us.
• The Holy Spirit empowers Christians to tell others about Jesus and God’s plan of salvation. • The Holy Spirit inspired and guided people to write the Bible. • The Holy Spirit pursues and convicts people of sin.
SALVATION
BIBLE • The Bible is true, without error, and will last forever. • The Bible is God’s message about Himself and His salvation plan through Jesus. • The Bible is the only inspired, written Word of God. • The Bible teaches that salvation through Jesus is God’s gift of forgiveness. • The Bible teaches how to live a Christian life by following Jesus.
• God had a plan for salvation before the beginning of time. • Jesus willingly died to provide salvation. Jesus’ death and resurrection make salvation possible. • The punishment for sin is eternal death and hell. • People cannot save themselves. Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins, redeeming and rescuing us from sin and death. • God’s salvation is eternal. Nothing can separate Christians from God’s love. • A growing relationship with Jesus is important and necessary. A Christian experiences joy when he recognizes God is working in his life and in the lives of others.
CREATION
CHURCH
• Creation can be credited only to God. • God created people in His image. • God’s world is orderly, following God’s purpose. • God gives people the responsibility to care for His creation. • God is still at work in His creation, cares what happens in it, and is working out His plan through it. • God wants people to praise Him for His creation. • God restores our relationship with Him when we trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. Our response is worship.
• The church is a fellowship of baptized believers who meet together to worship and serve God. Churches today are part of the movement Jesus and His followers began. • God calls church leaders to train believers to do God’s work.
• God uses the church to meet people’s needs as an expression of His love. • Churches gather together to worship and respond to God. • God wants people to be good stewards of their money, time, talents, and possessions. • The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance—a command Jesus gave to the church. The body and blood of Jesus are represented in the Lord’s Supper. Christians participate in the Lord’s Supper to remember Jesus’s death. • Baptism is an ordinance— a command Jesus gave to the church. Baptism by immersion is a symbol of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Christians are baptized to show they have trusted in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
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PRETEENS PEOPLE • Life is a gift from God. • God loves me so I can appreciate my value. • People are responsible for their choices and any consequences for their actions. • God will help Christians know and use their spiritual gifts. • God wants people to communicate with Him and study the Bible daily. • People can take deliberate actions to grow in Christlikeness. • People are accountable to God for the way they treat other people. • People can live with joy regardless of their circumstances. • God has a plan for each person to understand and follow. • People can acknowledge and follow God’s authority in their life.
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• Because a person’s body is God’s temple, God wants us to honor Him with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. • God commands people to obey Him. People can trust that He will help them resist temptation and give them self control. • Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, we can seek forgiveness from Him and others and restore broken relationships. • God expects people to remain pure in all aspects of life with their bodies, thoughts, attitudes, actions, and speech. • God gives each believer one or more spiritual gifts to do His work. God provides resources and other believers to help disciples grow in their faith.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
FAMILY • Families are a part of God’s plan for providing for children’s spiritual, physical, mental, social, and emotional needs. • God’s plan is for each person to make a positive contribution to her family. Men and women have different but complementary roles in the family. • God expects children to honor Him in the ways they honor their parents throughout their lives. • God wants families to have an attitude of worship. • A man and a woman marry in a covenant relationship, promising to love each other until death as God loves them. • God loves families even when they are broken. God wants all believers to act as the family of God and help others in difficult times.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God values all people everywhere, both unborn and born, from every race, ethnicity, and culture. • God allows people to join Him in His work throughout the world. • God calls all Christians to tell people about Jesus and to teach them how to know and follow God.
• People can pray for missionaries and the people they teach and serve. • God tells me to connect with all types of people and show them His love. • Missionaries are Christians called by God to boldly tell another group of people the good news about Jesus, no matter the danger.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GOD • Because God is holy, He is altogether separate from and far above people who are sinful. • God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and people were created to live in relationship with Him. • God is omnipresent (all places at all times), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful). • God communicates to us through His Word and hears and answers when we pray. • God relates to His people according to His covenant promises, He is faithful, and He always keeps His promises to us. • God is loving and righteous and will one day make right all that sin has damaged. • God is worthy of our worship because of how He relates to us and because of who He is, and we owe to Him our attention and affections.
• God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eternal, and has existed for eternity past and will exist for eternity into the future. • There is one God who reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
JESUS • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. • From the beginning, God planned that Jesus would save people from their sins and sent Him at exactly the right time. • Jesus is fully God and fully man, and He is altogether holy. • Jesus lived for the glory of the Father and taught that we should do the same through lives of worship. • Jesus is the only way people can connect with God. • Because Jesus is God, He had the power to perform miracles.
• Jesus sits at God’s right hand and continually prays for us. Jesus will one day return to exercise His reign over creation.
HOLY SPIRIT • God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eternal, and has existed for eternity past and will exist for eternity into the future. • Each person who comes to faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and is given a spiritual gift. • Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit to minister to God’s people in a special way. • The Holy Spirit intercedes before the Father on our behalf. • The Holy Spirit inspired and guided people to write the Bible.
• The Bible is the only inspired written Word of God. • Through the Bible, we know God Himself and how He expects us to live.
SALVATION • Before the beginning of time, God’s plan for salvation centered on Jesus’ death and resurrection. • People cannot save themselves, and Jesus is the only way to be reconciled to God.
• Because of our rebellion against God, we deserve eternal punishment. • God’s salvation is eternal, and nothing can separate us from Him. • We can be confident in our salvation when we live in obedience to God and in ways that reflect Jesus.
BIBLE • The Bible is true, without error, and will last forever. • The Bible is the story of God’s work in creation and centers around Jesus.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL CREATION • God is Creator, and all creation is a result of His work. • Creation testifies as to the existence of God, and people are without excuse for their disbelief and disobedience. • God’s creation functions in an orderly way and serves His purposes as He continues to work His creation. • God has given people responsibility for overseeing His creation, and we should steward it for His purposes.
CHURCH • The church is a fellowship of believers, and we are called to meet together regularly. • The church is not a place or a building, but consists of the people who belong to the family of God. • The church is responsible for training and equipping its members for works of ministry, and church members are called to give of their time, resources, and talents. 1 6
• The ordinances of the church are the Lord’s Supper and baptism, which are earthly symbols of eternal realities.
PEOPLE • All people are created in God’s image, and our lives are gifts from God. • People are created as moral beings and are responsible for their choices, including the ways they treat others. • Growing in Christlikeness requires our intentional efforts. • God has a purpose for every person, and He wants us to understand His plans for us. • God loves all people, regardless of ethnicity or status, and proved His love by sending Jesus to bear the penalty for our sin on the cross. • Because of Jesus, people can live with joy regardless of circumstances.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
• Our response to God’s love is to remain pure in all aspects of life and He empowers us to obey His commands as we live by the Spirit. • All people have sinned, and have been separated from God, but because of Jesus, we can be restored to a relationship with Him.
FAMILY • Families are part of God’s plan for filling the earth with His image-bearers and His glory and are responsible for providing for the needs of family members. • God’s plan for the family involves one man and one woman, committing to one another in a lifelong covenant relationship as a reflection of God’s love for His people. • God calls children to honor their parents throughout their lives as a reflection of their honor and love for Him.
• When families experience brokenness, God desires to bring healing and unity and to use the broader family of God to minister to hurting families during difficult times.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God values all people and calls Christians to live on mission for the sake of reaching the lost with the gospel.
• God continues to work in the world, and people are invited to join Him in His work. • We are to be involved in reaching the nations through prayer, giving resources, loving actions, and sharing the gospel.
HIGH SCHOOL GOD • Because God is holy, He is altogether separate from and infinitely above people who are sinful, and He deserves our reverence and obedience.
• God is Creator, all creation is a result of His work, and He created people in His image and as His crowning achievement to enjoy a relationship with Him and reflect His glory. • God is omnipresent (all places at all times), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (allpowerful), and exercises sovereignty over all creation.
• God communicates to us through His Word and hears and answers when we pray, and our spiritual maturity depends on these spiritual disciplines. • God relates to His people according to His covenant promises, and even though we are not always faithful to Him, God keeps His promises and always has and always will be faithful to us. • God is loving and righteous, grieves the impact of sin on the world, and will one day make right all that sin has damaged.
• God is worthy of our worship, and to misplace attention or affections to worldly things which are rightly owed to God is idolatry. • God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eternal, and although He is not bound by time, He chooses to operate in it in order to relate to us. • There is one eternal God who reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person of the Trinity has distinct personal attributes. BEING: All people are created in God’s image to reflect Him and live in relationship with Him. Sin damaged that image and brought separation, but Christians are new creations with the distinct privilege of enjoying restored relationships with God and reflecting His character to the world in a special way.
DOING: Because we are created to reflect God and live in relationship with Him, we should continually pursue God in His Word and through prayer, live in continual fellowship within the church, and evangelize those who do not know Him. APOLOGETIC: Many today believe there are many gods and many ways to heaven, and that we are free to define God according to our personal perspectives. However, Scripture teaches there is one God with only one way to heaven through trust in His only Son, Jesus. God Himself defines who He is and not people.
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HIGH SCHOOL JESUS • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, which means He did not inherit the sinful nature passed down from Adam, which made Him fit to be our Savior. • From the beginning, God planned that Jesus would save people from their sins, and it was necessary that He would be crucified and raised. • Jesus is fully God and fully man, and despite being tempted while on earth, remained altogether free from sin. • Jesus lived for the glory of the Father and taught that we should do the same through lives of worship, service, and sacrifice.
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• Because no sin can enter God’s presence and because Jesus is holy, He is the only way people can connect with God. • Jesus, because He is God, had the power to perform miracles, and He did so as a sign of His divine nature and to help people overcome their lack of faith.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
• Jesus sits at God’s right hand and continually intercedes for believers as our advocate, mediator, and High Priest. Jesus will one day return to exercise His reign over creation, and He will make all things new. BEING: Because Jesus took our sin and, in its place, gave us His righteousness, though we were once separated from God, we are now accepted into God’s presence.
DOING: Because Christianity necessarily involves following Christ, we should continually live in obedience to His commands as an expression of our faith in and love for Him. APOLOGETIC: Whereas many claim that Jesus was a good man or a great teacher, the truth is that Jesus is God.
HOLY SPIRIT • God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eternal, and although He is not bound by time, He chooses to operate in it in order to relate to us. • Each person who comes to faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and is endowed with a spiritual gift to be used to serve the church. • Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit has come to convict, teach, comfort, lead, strengthen, and seal us, as well as to produce fruit within and through us.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes before the Father on our behalf when we do not know how or what to pray. • The Holy Spirit inspired and guided people to write the Bible and used the personalities and voices of men to communicate the very words of God. BEING: As members of God’s family, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and have received from Him gifts to be used in serving the church. Exercising these gifts is a privilege and responsibility, and God works through us to impact others. DOING: Because the Holy Spirit resides in the lives of all believers and has given us all a spiritual gift, we should work to discern that gift and then exercise it in building up the church. APOLOGETIC: Whereas many see the Holy Spirit as an energy or force, the truth is the Holy Spirit is a person, co-equal with the Father and the Son within the Trinity, and is Himself God.
APOLOGETIC: Many claim there are errors in Scripture or that the Bible contradicts itself in places. However, all Scripture is the Word of God, is without error, is trustworthy, and is transformative.
SALVATION
BIBLE • The Bible is internally consistent, God’s Truth, without error, totally trustworthy, and will last forever. • The Bible is the story of God’s work to redeem fallen creation through the saving work of Jesus, who will one day make all things new. • The Bible consists of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments and is the only inspired written Word of God.
• Through the Bible, we know God Himself, and we know how He expects us to live in order to follow Christ and experience His blessing. BEING: As God’s children, we are called to be like Jesus. The Bible reveals who Jesus is, and we grow to be more like Him as we understand and apply the truths found in the Scriptures. DOING: Because we are transformed by the Bible, we should devote ourselves to regularly studying and applying the truths of Scripture.
• Before the beginning of time, God’s plan for salvation centered on Jesus’ death and resurrection, which make salvation possible. • No amount of good works can save a person, and Jesus’ paying the penalty for our sin is the only way to be reconciled to God. • Because of rebellion against God, all people are cut off from a relationship with Him and deserve eternal death and hell, which is the punishment for sin. • God’s salvation is eternal, and once we are adopted into God’s family, nothing can separate us from Him.
• We can be confident in our salvation when we, as a matter of desire, live in obedience to God and in ways that reflect Jesus. BEING: Because salvation is a gift from God and has been secured by the sacrifice of Christ, we become children of God forever when we surrender to Him in faith and turn away from sin. DOING: Though we cannot work to earn salvation, true faith is evidenced in how we live. Therefore, we should seek to know and do all that God commands. APOLOGETIC: Many people believe we will go to heaven as a matter of works— because they try to be good people, because they pray, or because they simply believe God exists. However, true salvation cannot be earned and comes only by faith in Jesus.
CREATION • God is Creator, and all creation is a result of His work and exists to glorify Him. • Creation testifies as to the existence of God, and because His power and nature are understood through what He has made, people are without excuse for their disbelief and disobedience. • God’s creation functions in an orderly way and serves His purposes as He exercises sovereign rule over it all. • People are God’s most loved creation and have been given responsibility for overseeing His creation. As we steward it for His purposes, we reflect God’s character and authority. BEING: God created a universe, which was whole and good, but humanity’s sin brought brokenness, pain, and relational separation between God and people. However, those who are part of God’s family are new
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HIGH SCHOOL creations in Christ and will dwell with God in the new heavens and earth. DOING: As those whom God has entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing His creation, we should steward well all the things God gives us in a way that honors Him and points others to Jesus. APOLOGETIC: God created the world; therefore, it belongs to Him. Upon placing people in the garden, He called us to rule over the world as an expression of His authority. Because we have the responsibility of caring for the world and all its resources, we must steward it well as God would.
CHURCH • The church is a community of believers who are called to meet together regularly to study Scripture, pray, worship, serve and encourage one another, and proclaim the gospel to the world. 2 0
• The church is not a place or a building but is made up of the people who belong to the family of God, and whereas under the Old Covenant, God dwelled in the temple or the tabernacle, today God dwells in His people and works through them to advance His kingdom. • The church is called to train and equip its members for works of ministry, including giving their time, resources, and talents to serve those within the church and reach those outside the church. • The ordinances of the church are the Lord’s Supper, which represents the body and blood of Jesus as the payment of our sin, and baptism, which represents our sharing in Jesus’ burial and resurrection. BEING: When we are brought into God’s family by faith, we become part of a family who is connected for the sake of loving, supporting, correcting, and encouraging one another.
GROWING in GOD’S WORD
DOING: Because we are part of a family, God’s church, we should prioritize spending time together, and we should sacrificially serve one another. APOLOGETIC: Many today believe we can have a relationship with God without belonging to a church. Whereas going to church is not what saves us, we belong to a church not only to worship corporately and to be fed but also to serve the needs of others. When we fail to engage with our church family, we are not following Christ in serving sacrificially.
PEOPLE • All people are created in God’s image as male and female, are infinitely valuable, and our lives are gifts from God. • People are created as moral beings and are responsible for their choices and the consequences of their choices, including the ways we treat others.
• We can grow in Christlikeness by acting intentionally to pursue Christ and as God works in our lives. • God has a purpose for every person, and we can know His plans by understanding and applying the truth of Scripture. • God loves all people, regardless of ethnicity or status, desires that we would all turn to Him for salvation, and demonstrated His love by sending Jesus
to bear the penalty for our sin on the cross. • Because of Jesus, people can live with joy regardless of circumstances, as joy is rooted in an eternal perspective and not in earthly circumstances. • Our response to God’s love is to remain pure in all aspects of life—with our bodies, thoughts, attitudes, actions, and speech—and He empowers us to obey His commands as we live by the Spirit.
• All people have sinned, and have been separated from God, but we can be restored to a relationship with Him when we trust in Jesus and turn from our sin. BEING: Because God created us, we belong to Him, and He has the right to direct our lives for His purposes. DOING: In order to fulfill God’s purposes in our lives, namely reflecting His glory and character, we must know Him personally. Therefore, we should devote ourselves wholeheartedly to living in relationship with Him. APOLOGETIC: Many today believe that, until a baby is born, he is not a living person. However, Scripture teaches that, from the time we are conceived, all people are living spiritual beings with great worth.
FAMILY • Families are a part of God’s plan for filling the earth with His image-bearers and are responsible for providing for the spiritual, physical, mental, social, and emotional needs of family members. • God’s plan for the family involves one man and one woman, who have different but complementary roles, committing to one another in a lifelong covenant relationship as a reflection of God’s love for His people. • God calls children to honor their parents throughout their lives as a reflection of honor and love for Him. Further, we are to demonstrate love toward all members of our families, including siblings, extended family, and those who God brings into our families as a result of fostering, adoption, or remarriage.
• When families experience brokenness, such as conflict, abuse, or divorce, God desires to bring healing and unity and to use the broader family of God to minister to hurting families during difficult times. BEING: Because we were meant to live in relationship, God’s design is that we would experience love, acceptance, support, and guidance through an earthly family. Further, God’s children are part of a spiritual family, the church, where we experience these, and we find all of these perfectly in God, our Father. DOING: We are called to honor God in the ways we treat our family. Therefore, we should work to intentionally show family members love and forgiveness.
APOLOGETIC: Many people today believe the definition of marriage is subjective and flexible, and that as long as people “love” each other, they have the right to be “married.” However, the Bible clearly defines marriage as a covenant relationship between one man and one woman for life.
COMMUNITY AND WORLD • God values all people— born and unborn, young and old, male and female, all ethnicities, those of opposing faiths—and calls Christians to live on mission for the sake of reaching the lost across the street and around the world through prayer, giving resources, loving actions, and sharing the gospel. • God continues to work in the world, and as we join Him in His work, He uses people to accomplish His eternal purposes.
• We demonstrate honor for God when we respect the earthly authorities God has placed in our lives, including parents, pastors, teachers, coaches, police, and government. BEING: As God’s people, we are ambassadors called to reach the world with the gospel. DOING: As God’s representatives, we should devote our lives to loving all people well and reaching them with the gospel that they could be reconciled to God. APOLOGETIC: Many people today believe the universe exists as the result of some great cosmic accident and that people evolved from simpler life forms. However, the Bible teaches that our loving Father created us to live in relationship with Him and to reflect His glory to others. Therefore, every person possesses inherent dignity and worth.
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Supporting Verses GOD
☐ Philippians 1:11
☐ Matthew 14:14
☐ 2 Corinthians 5:17
BIBLE
☐ Deuteronomy 6:4-5
☐ Philippians 4:19
☐ Matthew 26:30
☐ 2 Corinthians 5:21
☐ Isaiah 40:8
☐ 1 Samuel 2:2
☐ Colossians 1:16
☐ Matthew 26:39
☐ Colossians 1:16
☐ John 20:31
☐ Psalm 6:9
☐ 1 Timothy 1:17
☐ Luke 2:46
☐ Hebrews 2:10-13
☐ John 21:24
☐ Psalm 18:3
☐ 1 Peter 1:16
☐ Luke 2:51-52
☐ Hebrews 4:15
☐ Romans 1:1-4
☐ Psalm 44:21
☐ 1 John 1:9
☐ Luke 23:34
☐ 1 John 4:14
☐ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
☐ Psalm 62:11
☐ 1 John 3:20
☐ John 1:1,14
☐ Revelation 1:18
☐ 2 Peter 1:20-21
☐ Psalm 90:2
☐ 1 John 4:9
☐ John 3:16
☐ Psalm 139:7-8
☐ 1 John 4:16
☐ John 5:19
☐ Psalm 139:14
☐ John 8:58
☐ Isaiah 12:5
☐ John 10:30
☐ Isaiah 40:28 ☐ Isaiah 61:8 ☐ Matthew 3:16-17 ☐ Matthew 5:48 ☐ John 3:16 ☐ Romans 1:25 ☐ Romans 5:8 ☐ Romans 8:28
JESUS ☐ Genesis 3:15 ☐ Isaiah 7:14 ☐ Isaiah 9:6 ☐ Isaiah 53:5 ☐ Matthew 1:18-25 ☐ Matthew 4:1-11 ☐ Matthew 13:55
☐ John 11:40-42 ☐ John 14:6 ☐ John 14:12 ☐ John 14:15 ☐ John 4:25-26 ☐ Acts 1:11 ☐ Romans 5:8 ☐ Romans 6:4
☐ 1 Corinthians 10:31
☐ Romans 8:34
☐ 2 Corinthians 1:20
☐ 1 Corinthians 15:20
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GROWING in GOD’S WORD
HOLY SPIRIT
SALVATION
☐ Ezekiel 36:26-27
☐ John 3:16
☐ John 14:16,26
☐ Romans 5:8
☐ John 15:26
☐ Romans 6:23
☐ John 16:7-8
☐ Romans 8:39
☐ John 16:12-13
☐ Romans 10:9
☐ Acts 1:8
☐ 2 Corinthians 5:21
☐ Romans 8:2-6
☐ Ephesians 1:4
☐ Romans 8:26
☐ 1 Peter 2:2
☐ 1 Corinthians 3:16
☐ 1 Peter 5:7
☐ 1 Peter 1:2
☐ 1 John 1:9
☐ 2 Peter 1:21
☐ 1 John 4:16
CREATION
FAMILY
☐ Ephesians 5:19-21
☐ John 14:15
☐ Genesis 1:1-2
☐ Colossians 3:16
☐ Acts 3:19
☐ Genesis 1:27-28
☐ Genesis 1:26
☐ 1 Timothy 5:17
☐ Romans 12:6-8
☐ Genesis 31:3
☐ Genesis 2:2
☐ 1 Peter 4:10
☐ Romans 15:13
☐ Exodus 20:12
☐ Genesis 2:7
☐ 1 Peter 5:1
☐ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
☐ Deuteronomy 6:4-9
☐ 1 Corinthians 10:13
☐ Psalm 103:13
☐ 1 Corinthians 10:31
☐ Psalm 127:3-5
☐ 1 Corinthians 11:1
☐ Proverbs 22:6
☐ 1 Corinthians 12:4-5
☐ Matthew 19:6
☐ Ephesians 4:32
☐ Ephesians 4:32
☐ Philippians 4:8
☐ Ephesians 5:23-25
☐ Colossians 3:13
☐ Colossians 3:16
☐ James 1:2
☐ 1 Timothy 5:8
☐ James 5:16
☐ Hebrews 13:4
☐ 1 Peter 4:10-11
☐ James 1:27
☐ 2 Peter 1:3
☐ 1 Peter 2:5
☐ Genesis 2:9 ☐ Genesis 2:15 ☐ Genesis 9:3 ☐ Hebrews 11:3
CHURCH
PEOPLE ☐ Genesis 1:27 ☐ Deuteronomy 30:19 ☐ Joshua 1:8 ☐ 2 Chronicles 7:14
☐ Nehemiah 10:38
☐ Psalm 139:13-16
☐ Matthew 18:20
☐ Proverbs 1:7
☐ Matthew 26:26-28
☐ Proverbs 3:5-6
☐ Matthew 28:19
☐ Isaiah 41:10
☐ Acts 10:48
☐ Jeremiah 1:5
☐ Romans 6:4
☐ Jeremiah 29:11
☐ Romans 12:10
☐ Matthew 6:14-15
☐ 1 Corinthians 11:23-24
☐ Mark 12:30
COMMUNITY AND WORLD ☐ Genesis 1:27 ☐ Psalm 139:13-14 ☐ Matthew 28:19-20 ☐ John 3:16 ☐ John 15:7 ☐ Acts 1:8 ☐ Romans 10:15 ☐ Romans 13:10 ☐ 2 Corinthians 5:17 ☐ Galatians 3:28
☐ 2 Peter 3:18 ☐ 1 John 4:16
☐ 1 Corinthians 11:26
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